Computer-induced health problems can be an umbrella term for various problems a computer user can develop from prolonged and incorrect computer use. The health problems that can arise from using computers can be generally defined as the many a computer user may experience from using computers extensively over a prolonged period of time in an inefficient manner. The inefficiency being that the computer user may have poor etiquette when using peripherals, such as a computer mouse and computer keyboard. The medical problem associated with computer-related work is carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), a stress-related injury caused by repetitive movement of joints, especially the wrist, and can lead to numerous musculoskeletal problems. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition in which there is excessive pressure on the median nerve. This is the nerve in the wrist that allows feeling and movement to parts of the hand. Carpal tunnel syndrome can lead to numbness, tingling, weakness, or muscle damage in the hands and fingers.
Ideally, an ergonomically correct position for a user at a computer workstation has the wrist of the hand controlling the mouse in a neutral position, with no bending, the hand being relaxed and in straight alignment with the associated forearm. In operation, there should be no bending of the user's wrist and fingers should fall naturally downward over the controls of the mouse. The user should be able to move the mouse with a full arm movement, keeping the wrist straight and in line with a full arm movement, keeping the wrist straight and in line with his or her shoulder. In order to reduce and minimize repetitive motion injuries (RMI) for computer users, a palm support is often placed in front of the mouse to provide support for the palm of the hand during brief pauses. A good technical description of the problems confronting users of computer mice is set out in U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,445 to Kaneko et al., issued May 9, 1995.
Many solutions have been proposed for providing a hand positioning device for a computer mouse and computer keyboard, which are selectively attachable to the mouse or keyboard, and include a raised area to facilitate proper positioning of the user's hand to minimize carpal tunnel and other related injuries. However, a major limitation of these devices is that the do not provide an efficient means for enabling a user of the apparatus to adjust both the distance of the support device and the relative height for either the mouse or keyboard.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an innovation that will overcome the deficiencies of past approaches and the problems that remain unsolved.